Baby Name Spellings

Updated on October 25, 2007
J.R. asks from McKinney, TX
36 answers

What is everyones thought on using original spellings for a babies name? We are expecting our 4th baby, a girl, before Christmas and have decided to name her Mallory Taylor. My husband thinks we should stick to the traditional spelling but I am a little tempted to spell it Mallorie or Mallori, but I also don't want her having her name misspelled her entire life. Our other children are Emma, Jillian, and Colby. What are your thoughts and votes on the spelling?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Mallory Taylor it is!!!!Thank you all for your opinions, you had some great points especially about the little things like finding trinkets etc with your name on it and how the name will look as an adult. You were especially helpful because we couldn't ask family or friends for their advice. For fun we have always kept our childrens' names a secret from family and friends until they were born. After all not much else is a secret these days. Our daughter announced Colby's name to everyone the day he was born and we will most likely do the same with Mallory. You are great and I hope someday to be as helpful to some of you as you have always been for me.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.

answers from Dallas on

As a child, I hated the fact that my name had an unusual spelling. It was regularly misspelled and incorrectly pronounced. I wanted those cute little stickers and pencils with my name. Silly, but even now, I can remember how left out I felt and how I hated being different.

Just my experience -

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.W.

answers from Dallas on

I personally prefer the traditional spellings. I have to admit that I roll my eyes when I see silly spellings and feel just a little bit sorry for the child and wonder whatever were the parents thinking? Having said that, it's really none of my business, is it? :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.J.

answers from Dallas on

It's a beautiful name. I much prefer the original spelling. But I am admittedly a traditionalist. I really don't like all the unique spellings and the unique name trend. Yet, I know I am wayyyyy in the minority with this, especially the name thing :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.M.

answers from Dallas on

Traditional,hands down. There are so many trendy names these days that the traditional are now "uncommon". My little boy's 1st name is William...he is the only William in his daycare. There are 3 Aidans,2 Taylors,and 2 Kadens. :)
What ever happened to the names like Mary and Sandy and Beth...???? Mallory is very pretty and grown up. :)
I like Mallory Jane. Long first names sound good with one syllabal middles. But your choice of Mallory Taylor is cute.
I am 5 months pregnant and about to find out the sex next week, so I will be in the same boat as you with the baby naming!!!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.W.

answers from Denver on

My vote is for the traditional spelling....I think it comes across as more sophisticated and elegant too. I think "made up" spellings appear trendy. You need to think about what it will be like when you child is a grown up or that she/he will always have to help other people spell their name. Unusual spellings are cute for a 2 or 5 year old..not so much when you are a professional.

Please do whatever makes you happy though....just sharing my opinion. It is a personal pet peeve of mine when people spell their children's names phonetically or make up the spellings...to me, it makes the parents seem uneducated or unable to spell.

Again....JUST my opinion and I have LOTS of friends with beautiful children who have very unusual names.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.M.

answers from Dallas on

I prefer the traditional way. I personally don't think giving children a "unique" spelling makes them unique. They will constantly have to correct people or repeatedly spell their name for people. Also in a classroom it doesn't change anything as a teacher I have first hand experience with this. If there are 2 kids with the same name and different spelling it is still going to sound the same. I once had a Brittany, Britney and Britni all in the same class but they all sound the same and I had to use last initials with all three. I don't think that will be as big of an issue because I don't think Mallory will be a hugely popular name. Good Luck no matter what you decide.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.P.

answers from Dallas on

Actually, I always thought Mallorie was spelled with an ie. I think it looks prettier on paper, anyway. And all she has to say is it is spelled Mallorie with an ie. My name is P. and I always tell people I have an i in there!! Good luck with your new "blessing". We have almost 3 year old twins and I would love more babies!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I love the name Mallory and I love the original spelling. I think is it simple and elegant. You if you want to change up the spelling change Taylor to Tahlor or Tayler.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Dallas on

Hi J.,
I liked the advice of the mom who said to think about your DD business card. Mallory does like a professional, serious minded person compared to Mallori.

We had the same decision to make with our son. His name is Myles. Tradition spelling is Miles. We went with Y instead of I. While he is only 4, the only issues we have is gifts. We received a Vermonth teddy bear as a baby gift and the name was spelled wrong. And for birthdays we sometimes get cards with the wrong spelling, but we realize our friends are too busy to keep up with such details.

We now realize that our son will be correcting people with the spelling of his name for the rest of his life.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.H.

answers from Dallas on

We've got a Malori Blake who just turned 8 yesterday. I've also got a Wesley (he's 18 now, back then the name Wesley wasn't very popular) and a Kelli. My girls like the fact that their names differ from the norm. The down side is - others seldom spell their names right. I say go for the unusual!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.

answers from Dallas on

I think it would be kinder to your daughter to have the traditional spelling of "Mallory" vs. your other suggestions. Most people I know with unusual spellings of names end up not liking it, as they have to spell their name all the time for everyone.

BTW - I do like the name that you picked, and it blends well with your other children's names!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I like Mallory Taylor just as it is! I wouldn't change the spelling at all. Of course, as the parents, you have that right. ;-) We named our son Danson. And had he been a girl, it would have been Manhattan. :-) I like different. Unfortunately we're just having the one so I will never have my Manhattan unless I move to NYC. Congratulations!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.T.

answers from Dallas on

I think you should spell it however you want. My mom was a teacher and threw a fit when I spelled my daughters name "Chanlyr". She told me she would have to spell it every day for the rest of her life. I just smiled and told her she did the same thing to me and it never bothered me.
My best friend is also a teacher and her opinion is as long as it is gramatically correct...spell it however you want.
If you spell it one of the "weird" ways, her name will always be misspelled. It is just part of it. Not a big deal though. When it happens, she can correct the spelling and hear everyone talk about how original the correct spelling it. Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from Memphis on

My name is L. and there are SO many different spellings out there that it's insane. It drives me crazy when people spell my name wrong even though many of the other spellings are just as common. Also, if you ever want to have anything with her name on it (most gift items) you'll have to special order it instead of being able to get things in a store. In my opinion, I think you should stick to the traditional spelling - I love the name!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from Tyler on

Cute name. I like the Mallorie spelling.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.S.

answers from Dallas on

Since your other children have elegant names with traditional spellings, I'd go with Mallory. If you do that, I'd stick with Taylor, so you have the "y" and the "or" in common. Next favorite is Mallorie. Nice name choice btw!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.L.

answers from Dallas on

I would go with the original spelling. My parents named me "S." without the E on the end and people all the time misspell my name as "Stephanie"

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Dallas on

I have an unusual name spelling. While I get some compliments, I think it would have been easier to have a traditional spelling. As a child I was always disappointed that I could not find things with my name on it (no bike license plate for me), my high school diploma is spelled wrong and as an adult people constantly assume that I can not spell my own name and fix it for me which explains why I have carried a drivers license with my name misspelled for the last 12 years.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.W.

answers from Dallas on

My vote is for Mallory Taylor to keep it traditional. I can see the other spellings being mis-pronounced at times. Not to mention, I tried writing them down on paper in cursive and the traditional one looks prettier. (You know how girls like to always write their name...) Try that and play around writing it in different styles and see which one looks nicer. That is just my suggestion.

Good Luck and Congrats!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.I.

answers from Dallas on

Personally I like traditional spellings because it makes it easier when they see the pencils, etc. monogramed at the stores to find their name. Of course I named my oldest Charlene (grandpa is Charles, named after him) and we can't find it anywhere.

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

Well, my name is the traditional spelling for our Polish/German background but it tends to be misspelled constantly, I think by age 14 I learned to simply spell it out to people initially. And I still remember to this day going to the 1st grade where the teachers put your name on your desk for you and not knowing where I sat because I didn't see MY name and thinking my teacher forgot about me. Just some things to think about. I named my son Shawn, after a passed family member and it's traditionally spelled Sean, however his namesake spelled it "his" way and I personally like the look of Shawn ... so there are pro's and cons.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Dallas on

I like the traditional way since the middle name has a "y" as well. It seems to "fit" visually.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.G.

answers from Dallas on

Just my opinion. I love the name Mallory. What an awesome name. Of the three spellings, I like the original the best.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.S.

answers from Dallas on

Hello J.-
I named my daughter Charleigh - Pronounced "Charlie" and no one can get it right. I like the origional spelling but it's kind of a pain

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.W.

answers from Dallas on

J.,
I LOVE non-traditional names and spellings, as long as they are not so off the wall you can't tell what they are. Both of your spellings of Mallory are great. Good luck.
M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.H.

answers from Dallas on

Dear J.,
As much as I like the other spellings, I must agree with your husband on this. You do not want your daughter to grow up always correcting others on the spelling of her name. You and eventually she will become quite frustrated by it. The pronouncement is the same no matter how the name is spelled, & in the end that is what really matters.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.

answers from Dallas on

I say spell your daughter's name any way you like. Traditional, non-traditional, whatever. As long as it's what you like and it's not too much of a burden on the child, the rest of the world will have to live with it.

Congratulations on your new baby on the way!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Dallas on

J.,
I have Krystal, Caryn and Aidan so I obviously don't go for traditional spelling. I love Mallori. I think that as long as is is pronouncable it is OK.

T.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Dallas on

While I now as an adult like the uniqueness of spelling my name with one "L", as a child it could get really annoying when everyone misspells it anyway. Plus, anytime she wants to buy a souvenir mug, magnet, etc., with her name on it, it won't be available for her but it will be for her siblings. Torture! :-)
I would advise spelling it the traditional way.

Good luck with the new baby!

Blessings,

M.
"My son finally eats all his veggies. Even the green ones."
www.M..NetworkMarketingCentral.com

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.M.

answers from Dallas on

I have to say I don't see the Mallory being more traditional. I have worked in retail for several years and have seen many different names. I have to say I have seen more Mallorie than Mallory. I personally like the ie better!

Good luck and congrats!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.P.

answers from Dallas on

I know you have a lot of opinions already, but I wanted to throw my opinion out there. I think Mallory-ie-i will have to spell her name anyway because it is not that common of a name. Obviously, my name is not that common. I didn't really like it when I was a child because I could never find my name on things. Now I like it because it is different from the thousands of Taras out there. (No offense to anyone named Tara :) I have gone with unusual spellings with my girls just because I loved their name the way it is spelled and not any other way!! I have Luke, Luci, and Lia.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Atlanta on

I think you should spell it the traditional way. Marllori is cute on a little girl, but I can't imagine a 30 or 40 year old woman with that name.
Imagine what that name will look like on a business card or resume. IMO, Mallory looks like a more mature and educated person than Mallori/ie.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.D.

answers from Dallas on

I think you should spell it however you want.... guess that's the beauty being a parent is you get to pick. If they do'nt like it when they're old enough, they can go change it themselves. :)

Personally, for the reason you expressed, I'd spell it the traditional way. I guess I don't understand the mentality of wanting to be different by making it spelled weird (for lack of a better term). I think the spelling "Mallori" one is cute and not so "out of the ordinary" though... but some of the other ways that that my friends have chosen to spell their kids names in such bizarre fashions you have to look 2-3 times to figure out what the name really is...

My sister has named all 3 of her kids ... just unique names that I've never even heard of before so I know all about original names.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.J.

answers from Dallas on

First off, congrats! Mallorie is a beautiful name (I personally like Mallorie or Mallory). And, who cares about other people. I can almost guarantee (sp?) that people will misspell and misprounce her name just because they can. You get used to it. It actually helps as she gets older in life. For instance, if someone misprounces my name on the phone, I know I dont' need to talk to them because they're probably someone who doesn't need to call me in the first place. Same thing with junk mail. And especailly if they call me Mr. Corylee (yep, it's happened). Congrats again and good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.E.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter's name is Lauren. We just chose the traditional spelling. I think I like spellings the traditional, classic way and not the trendy way. It seems cute when they are small, but then the rest of their lives everyone has problems with their name. I just try to think of my daughter when she gets older, too..I don't know how much she would appreciate a "trendy" spelling when she grows up. It might not be so cute anymore to her :) Just my thoughts...

M.M.

answers from Houston on

I think with the name Mallorie-i-y, either spelling works. I actually don't know which one is the original form, I'm guessing the "y".

Just as long as you don't go overboard with the spelling, it's sooo irritating to always have to spell and pronounce your name all the time to people. At school for teachers, over the phone for billing/customer service...

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches